Roasted Purple Sweet Potato with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Last Updated on June 29, 2022 by Rebecca Huff

You're going to love the creamy texture naturally sweet taste of roasted purple sweet potatoes.

Purple sweet potatoes are a stunning side dish with their vibrant purple color. Not only do they look like food for royalty, but they are also considered a longevity food. You may have heard about Okinawans who have a life expectancy of 83.7 years. (Compare that to the expectancy of an American and you'll see a five-year difference!)

According to a decade-long study of the Okinawan people, it appears that a key factor in the Okinawans’ vigorous health and longevity can be attributed to the consumption of purple sweet potatoes. Okinawans reportedly eat an average of half a kilo (1 pound) of purple sweet potatoes per day. ~ Purple Sweet Potatoes May Help You Live Longer

Purple sweet potatoes are exceptionally high in antioxidants, particularly anthocyanin, which is the same antioxidant that you'll find in blueberries, purple cabbage, and others. However, the level of this special antioxidant, anthocyanin in purple sweet potatoes is around 150 times higher than in blueberries. 

One study found that anthocyanin was helpful in protecting against colorectal cancer. This antioxidant also contributes to eye health.

Both orange sweet potatoes and purple sweet potatoes contain a fair amount of Vitamin A.

How to prepare purple sweet potatoes

To reap even more of the health benefits of these purple sweet potatoes, we're going to roast them with the skin on. So before you cook them, give them a nice scrub in a tub of water using a stiff bristle brush. Sweet potatoes are tubers and grow underground, therefore you will often see a bit of dirt on them. 

My grandpa used to say “a little dirt won't hurt” but grit will ruin your eating experience, so scrub them well! Potato skin has concentrated nutrients, so leave it on when you can. 

Purple sweet potatoes have a lot of potassium and most of that is found in the skin. Since potassium is good for your heart, may as well use this source rather than toss it in the compost. In addition, both the purple and regular sweet potatoes contain a significant amount of vitamin C which is often lost in cooking. Higher concentrations of vitamin C can be maintained when you leave the skin on. 

Roasting sweet potatoes year-round for your dinner table (or breakfast and lunch!) will help keep your immune system strong. So don't eat them just on Thanksgiving Day. You want to enjoy them as often as you can!

Besides, I love the taste of crispy sweet potato skin! When my kids wouldn't eat their sweet potato skin I would always be the one who ended up with it on my plate. For years my older children would offer me their sweet potato skins!

Finding Purple Sweet Potatoes

Offering a well-balanced sweetness and texture, Stokes Purple® sweet potato is a unique variety with purple skin and rich purple flesh that intensifies when cooked. Aside from its unique bold color it also contains anthocyaninantioxidants (just like blueberries) and is a good source of vitamin C and fiber, making it healthy and nutritious. The Stokes Purple® sweet potato is grown in California and is non-GMO.

You can look for Freidas purple sweet potatoes using their finder. 

When I find them at the grocery store, I try to buy extra so I can enjoy them in several different ways. I've found them at Trader Joe's with a sign “Japanese Sweet Potato.” Also, I have found them at Whole Foods, Publix, and Kroger sometimes mislabeled “yams” or “purple yams.” Recently I saw them on Amazon along with many other purple sweet potato food items. I'd love to find them at our local Farmer's Market.

Whole 30, Paleo, Clean Eating, and Mediterranean Diet friendly.

Other Notes:

We eat a lot of root vegetables and they keep well if you store them in a dark, cool, dry place. Growing potatoes and sweet potatoes in your garden is very rewarding.

If you have a vegetable chopper or mandolin you can cut your prep time as chopping by hand it the most time-consuming part of the recipe. The smaller you ch ope the potatoes the less cook time, but I wouldn't chop them too finely, about 1/2 inch to 1 inch cubes are what I prefer.

To avoid a mess on your baking sheet, you can place a Silpat mat (Amazon Associate Link) or else a piece of parchment paper. To use less olive oil and therefore keep this more low fat, you can spray the potatoes with a spritz of olive oil spray. potatoes

More Purple Sweet Potato Recipe Suggestions

Other ways we enjoy eating these include, baked purple sweet potato and purple sweet potato fries, both are divine! If you have an air fryer, try making purple sweet potato fries in it, the taste is amazing. Crisp on the outside and soft in the middle. (Orange sweet potatoes make delicious fries as well.) I recommend adding them to a large bowl, then spritz with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper, and paprika before air frying.

To make roasted sweet potatoes (of any color) simply preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, bake until tender in the middle, total time will vary, but an average size potato takes about 45 minutes.

While you're saving recipes with purple sweet potatoes, try my minestrone with purple sweet potatoes. Here are some other posts you will enjoy:

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Unless you're avoiding carbohydrates, try adding these roasted potatoes to your menu rotation often! Even if you are following a low carbohydrate diet, you can squeeze in a small serving size now and then for the health benefits.

How do you like to eat your Okinawan Sweet Potatoes?